By the time we were on the road to Salida, evening was coming on and were running pretty slow knowing that deer were everywhere—sure enough, only a few minutes later we rode through a heard of elk browsing on both sides of the road. Even down in the flats of the valley, I felt great to be back in Colorado. I moved there when I was about 22 and it has always felt like home. The air is different and the place feels clean and new and clear. Out of LaVeta, we headed up the Wet-Mountain Valley toward Westcliff. We rode into town in the dusk of late evening. A quick look around town and we were off to Texas Creek where we picked up the road to Salida. Total darkness overtook us while running along the Arkansas River near town. I remember wishing for daylight because the road runs right down next to the river, the fast water tumbling by in an inspiring show of force.

We went to my old-stand-by budget hotel in Salida (not the one we will use for the tours) run by a high energy Polish guy who has a great way of making you feel welcome. We debouched from the bikes and proceeded to spread our stuff out like we had been there a week. I wasn’t long before the tequila bottle found its way around to all of us—nothing serious just a relaxing tipple before dinner. Showers all around gave everyone that “hell, I could ride another 500 miles” for a few minutes and Kev felt so good he went out and mounted the RT in his bath towel—we declared unanimously that no matter how bad he wanted to get noticed by some local gals, he would have to get dressed before we would take him out in public. A dinner spot was easy. Amica’s is hands down my favorite place to eat in Salida. Its not expensive but it feels like is must be; it’s fresh, it’s cool but not over hip. Without a doubt, we will be taking dinner there on the tours. This night we came in close to closing and they treated us like we were the first customers of the night—did I mention genuinely friendly yet professional service? The beer and conversation were equally pleasant. We took it pretty easy on the craft brew knowing we would have to ride the bikes back to the barn and head out “early” the next day.

We crashed into the sack as soon as we returned from dinner. Bill said he felt like sleeping in a bed for a change instead of his usual hammock so I tied it between two trees in the parking lot behind the pool house and spent a fine night under the night sky.

The next morning we were all eager to get to Colorado, but we still did not get out of SanteFe until about 11:00. I took off ahead of the others headed for the home base in LaVeta Colorado. I selected LaVeta as a base because it is a sweet little town in Southern Colorado not far from I-25 with great access to the rest of the state.

It is a short drive from SanteFe to LaVeta, and I rolled into town mid-afternoon. First I drove around town then parked the van and trailer at the town park to wait for the other guys to show up. Steve and Bill were coming in Steve’s truck with their bikes and Kevin rode over on his bike. We managed to hook up and have a little picnic in the park while waiting for my friend to open up his storage yard where we would leave the vehicles and trailers while we rode. After a lunch we unloaded, geared up and made ready to roll. It was about that time that Steve realized he had lost the keys to his bike. Fretting and worrying, he futzed around cursing himself. “No problem, this bike is a piece of cake to hot wire.” I popped the headlight out of the old airhead and had the bike purring in ten minutes. Not to be outdone for foolishness, I let my bike fall over in the parking lot when the center stand broke through the fresh blacktop. After righting the RT, tweaking the windshield back in place and pushing the turn signal back on, we were finally riding for Salida.

By the time I wheeled within view of the house, I felt almost normal. A shower, a cocktail, and a steak dinner set me fully right. Jovial spirits reigned while we discussed the route and the last two days of moto merriment. All were in agreement that the route had been just about ideal.

Excellent roads and stunning, western high-desert surroundings make the northern New Mexico region around SanteFe and Taos ideal motorcycle touring country. We will be going back this summer for some more exploring, and we hope to add a northern New Mexico Tour in 07.

After northern New Mexico it was onto the Colorado Rockies for more adventures.

As usual with sleeping out on the ground, actual, sound and restful sleep proved evasive, and I was wide awake just at daylight wondering what the hell to do while everyone else was snoozing away. I solved that problem with plenty of loud rustling about. Pretty soon heads poked out of tents and from under tarps. It wasn’t long before we struck our little camp and heading into Taos for coffee and breakfast.

After a not so quick breakfast a little local place packed with tourists, our little group proceeded west on highway 64 toward Chama. Sweepers galore and easy twisties all the way to Chama left everyone grinning ear to ear. At Chama we continued west toward Dulce. We where way out in Jicarilla Apache Reservation when we turned south on NM 537 Out of the foothills and in the desert once again, we turned up the dial a bit, running in the 90s all the way to San Yisidro and the turn onto to N.M. turns back east and north into the mountains around Los Alamos.

By this time we had been on the road most of the day slicing and dicing and generally frolicking around. Not long after we began to gain altitude the road tightened up and the sky went blue-black. Two hundred fifty miles since breakfast and a great motorcycle road ahead lead straight into an inky wall of thunderstorms—a conundrum indeed. The road had been a blast for the first hour: switchbacks doubling back themselves and great scenery all around.

I had gotten carried away in the twisties and the rest of the guys were well back. I figured I would hold up ahead and wait for them in Los Alamos. The thunderstorm had other ideas, and along one of the best sections of road yet the rain cut loose like it was being poured out of a bottomless pitcher right onto me. Things began to get real unpleasant about this time. I was soaked so fast that raingear seemed a waste of time, the temperature plummeted, the road was tight, wet, and descending steeply—bloody hell I was uncomfortable. Even with the heated grips my hands became unresponsive claws affixed to the grips. At the apogee of my misery I spotted a gas station with a huge covered pump area and wheeled the RT under cover before I went completely hypothermic.

I pulled every piece of dry clothing out of my saddle bags, hit the head and dried up a bit. I was still shaking uncontrollably so I figured large amounts of strong hot coffee were in order. By the second cup shaking from cold had been replaced by shaking from caffeine.

About the time I began to think that the boys were hold up somewhere trying to stay dry, they shot past my warm spot without seeing the RT parked under the awning. I finished my coffee and summoned all my will to go back out on the bike for the last 60 miles back to our base in SanteFe. The heavy rain had passed as quickly as it had come, and my run into SanteFe was uneventful. The whole of that last leg I thought about how great those roads were in the foothills just when it had started to rain. They were perfectly twisty and enticing, but the rain came at just the wrong time. Oh well, next year.

Continuing on the enchanted Circle,we hit highway 64 south of Eagle Nest and continued around the circle toward Questa. Over Bobcat Pass, through Red River, and on around toward Taos. The roads were picture perfect, mounting up and over foothills and twisting through pine forests. We rode slow and easy taking in the cool and swapping lead so everyone could enjoy the view.

We rolled into Taos near sunset, rode out of town along the river and found a nice though over-used spot next to the stream. We pitched camp then rode back into town for some dinner. After a good New Mexican feed, we got back to camp early to ensure our full dose of zzzs. I could not remember the last time I had camped off the bike and it felt good to fall asleep with the water chasing over the rocks just ten feet from my ears.

We started out on Interstate 25 North heading out of SanteFe toward Las Vegas New Mexico. Once in a while it can be enjoyable running fast on the interstate, and this was one of those times. Blasting through the morning air at 80 or 90 shrank the space around me to the cozy intimacy inside my little bubble of speed and wind noise. Outside, the landscape tore away from me in all directions, expanding outward into an almost incomprehensible vastness—the desert can be a mind-expanding experience.

Sixty miles up I25 we swung onto the exit toward and started on the Enchanted Circle. Now on the secondary highways I enjoy the most, the big oil-head beemer droned along proudly. Clearly all was right with the world: I was riding my motorcycle in the Rockies, gaining altitude with every revolution of the big boxer, and it was the first day of a month of riding. Roasting through June in the Texas furnace had mercifully ended and I was back in the land of pine, peaks and red dirt.

That first day was pretty much a joyous blur: the smell of dry air and pine forced into my helmet riding made left me all giddy and grinning like a fool. We were brought back to reality by a quick, cool and vigorous afternoon thundershower, and we took refuge under an overhanging porch. It wasn’t much but enough to bring out the rain gear. As usual no sooner were we were geared up, and the action was over. Shortly the skies blued nicely, and we were off again—ah, summer in the Rockies.

Finally getting the ride reports of last summer. Riding is great down here in Austin, and I will be posting a ride report on a ride I did solo around Feb, 1. Meanwhile, with Rocky Mountain riding season fast approaching, I finally have begun writing up last summer's ride reports. I think they are likely better for the wait--distillation always improves my writing. Well, last summer's riding proved nothing short of wonderfully gratifying. I hope the coming posts get that across.

OUT OF THE FURNACE AND BACK TO THE HIGH LONESOME

It is hard to know where to start; let’s just say that Colorado was fantastic last summer. I let other stuff get in the way and didn’t keep up the blog, but with summer just around the corner, the coming touring season has me remembering how great last summer really was.

There is so much to cover I’m going to have to break this down into a few coffee shop sessions. I have some pretty good pictures (pretty good because it is hard to get avid riders to sit still for photo sessions).

Let’s start with getting out Texas and landing in SanteFe. We rolled out of Austin at the peak of summer on July on a truly scorching afternoon. The great thing about SanteFe is it’s just a days drive from Austin, we picked our way through the narrow streets of the old town about 11:00 PM searching for my buddy’s house where we would stay for a few days to ride the area.

I woke up to a shatteringly blue SanteFe sky at 6:00 excited as hell to get on the road. By the time we had unloaded the bikes from the various trailers, unpacked, then repacked everything for an overnight camping ride of about 800 miles, it was straight up noon. But in a few more minutes, crunching red pumice and sandstone under our wheels as we wound our way through the neighborhood, we picked up the first paved street and slipped out of town. It was finally on.

MORE SOON

FINALLY WE RIDE THE ROCKIES
A little to long between posts here but we have been busy prepping bikes and getting all in order to head out to the Rockies. It is 5:00 am on July 15, and we depart in about an hour for this summer’s tours.
First we stop in Santa Fe to ride Northern New Mexico. We will be researching for our Southwest tour. It will be great to revisit the old haunts and enjoy the mountain roads and open county of that area. Northern New Mexico is unique country with many interesting natural and cultural interests—which all makes for some damn good riding, I honestly I can hardly wait.
After that little teaser it is on north to Colorado to tour the high county for 14 days. We will be riding the route we laid out last year and it will be fantastic riding. I know there are many ways to tour Colorado but our route is arguably the best. We circle the state reaching all the premier areas of the mountain regions, and ride the best of the best roads. It is a one of a kind experience.
Keep an eye on the web site as I will be updating from the road with the audio blog. Join us next year and remember your experience forever.

Cheers, Oakley

Update:
Well the spring has come to Central Texas but the rain continues to fall.
Since the last post we have only be able to get out once for a 1000 mile weekend in the heart of the hill country. It was a stellar ride—everyone should take the opportunity to ride the “Texas Rockies.” Perhaps we will work up a tour for next spring when the weather is fine and the flowers and trees are showing their stuff.

Meanwhile, planning for this summer’s Colorado trip continues. AdventureOne will be guiding our two High Country routes and revisiting the canyon country of Utah and Arizona to set up some more primer routes. If you have never ridden the western canyon country or if you would just like to take a hassle-free trip around the west, keep in touch with us and watch the blog because we will be posting from the road. This trip will be all worked out by next summer and it will be breathtaking to say the least.

On all things motorcycle:
I am shopping for a new dual sport bike and would love to have a ktm but will likely settle for a DRZ 400s. The Suzuki appears to be an excellent all around ds mount with enough grunt to top the Colorado passes yet still light enough to lift out of a mud hole. We will be spending some time working out routes for our Dual Sport Safari trips—looking for camping spots were our crew can set up the luxury safari style camps and still not require the clients to exit the high country. I’m really excited about our Safaris—the trips are unlike any thing else out there. Rolling over high-mountain roads, topping passes allday and camping like a king in the wilderness backcountry--nothing to do but ride and enjoy the luxury and natural beauty that surrounds you.

Drop us an email and let us know what you are thinking and riding.

Oakley

It has been a long wet winter in Austin, Texas. I can’t remember a winter when I did less riding. We still have not made it back out to Big Bend or anywhere else for that matter. It will have to dry out some day and when it does I am going to have to hit the road for a mini ironbutt just to get my head back on. As the great philosopher once said “Sometimes it takes a whole tank of gas just to think straight.”

AdventureOne Tours is moving forward. Right now we are printing advertising and stickers to get out to everyone who might come out to Colorado this summer to ride with us. I will be going out on some rallies and rides in the southwestern region and trying to meet you all and let you know what a great time we will have this summer. Hey, at least I can ride every weekend, and I will still be working!

It really will be a great time this summer. If you are reading this you won’t want to miss out on this first year. The prices are low and the fun dial will be high.


Ride hard live well.
Oakley

Still Waiting to Ride

Started this blog on 19 December, Finished it today the 26th.

Argggg. Well, no riding for me this weekend. Kevin is out of town and house building beckons—building a house can really cut into a guy’s riding time. Next time I will “build” my house like everyone else does, pay someone else to do it then just talk about building it as if I were actually doing it.

This weekend I will be laying hardwood floor and slate tile instead of riding. Ah but there is a method to this madness. If I work on the house and put on a good show I can take off over Christmas weekend for four days. I think I will head out to Big Bend on the first day then keep going toward southern Arizona. The roads between El Paso and Nogales, Arizona are desolate and beautiful if you stay off of I-10. Perhaps I will tour around the area for a day then roll back the last day. Bisbee is a great little town–full of old hippies and funky places and surrounded by roads made for riding.

Mid-winter riding out west can be dicey. Sometimes the weather can be fine and warm, other times you might get caught in a snowstorm. With luck I will get a break and ride the whole way in 50 and 60 degree temps. That is providing I wait until 10:00 am to start the day. At least there is riding. I’m just happy to be able to ride in the winter at all. An electric vest would help a bunch but I don’t have one. It will be a good chance to test my temperature tolerance and comfort level on the RT. At least it has heated grips. I will up date around Christmas before I take off.

Well Christmas has come and gone and I did not go riding. Instead, I stayed in bed with the flu—great fun. It was too cold to ride any way with temps in the 30s during the day, pretty darn cold by Austin standards. No matter any way. The RT is down with bad noise near the front pulley, and I must use the time to effect repairs—not something I am looking forward to. I love to ride them and tinker with them but I hate to do major repairs. Years of working on all kinds of vehicles has taught me that they are inevitably a can of worms. Take it apart to fix on thing and end up having to fix five or six more things, and it is always worse than predicted before opening it up. But open it up I must. Perhaps I will get started today, It is supposed to warm to about 60 degrees.
More later

If I am going to ride the RT in a week I have a lot of work to do, and all the while loosing valuable riding time. The temps have been running about 50 or so at night and 70 plus by midday—prime riding down here. Anyone who lives where the snow and ice are building up should consider coming down to Texas for a Big Bend trip.

The RT is running sweetly with the latest tweeking. Now I just need to put the plastic back together and ride it. I followed the suggestions of the IBMW guys and installed intake tubes and the monotronic computer reprogramming cat-code plug for a GS. Also “de-tuned” the top end a little by increasing the valve lash from 12mm on the exhaust side to 14mm and from 6 to 12 mm on the intake side. The whole deal cost just $50.00 and seemed to boost the low-end and roll-on throttle response. Overall, RT pulls harder and comes on quicker with a technical, though unnoticeable by me, loss at the topend—I don’t ride over 100 mph very often.

Meanwhile, West Texas beckons. I want to get out of Austin by Saturday the 18th. Kevin will be getting in from Boulder Colorado that morning so we may not get out of here until the afternoon. If we stay in the saddle we can still make the 500 miles before it gets too late. I think we will stay at he Gage in Marathon, then head for the Davis Mountains for a turn around the mountain loop—about 100 miles of pristine desert mountains and great roads. I also want to revisit some the other roads that were being rebuilt when I was down there last. This trip will be strictly pavement oriented on RT. I intend to return soon and cover as many of the unpaved routes as possible—too many for one trip.

If you would like to get out of the icebox and stretch out in the wide open of West Texas for a few days, drop us and email and set it up.

Oakley

I drifted just a bit on that last blog, I wanting to write about how great the Big Bend Tour will be and what a great place it is to ride and all that. I ended up writing an ode to my motorcycle, gushing like a schoolboy in love. Oh well, we all fall in love once in a while, or is it just me?

The Big Bend GS Tour is the result of that research trip and ten years of visiting the area. It is going to be a truly great tour. Creature comforts will be excellent: great historic hotels and local fare that is as good as you will find. But it is the roads and the topography that really set this area apart. One of the big reasons I like the place so much is that it feels like the Rockies, looks like the desert, and rides like the mountains.

The Big Bend or, more properly, the Trans-Pecos area of Texas feels like no other place in the west. It is unquestionably the west in an old Mexico way—when I’m out there I feel like I’m in a Sam Peckinpah movie. The spare landscape gives that high-lonesome feeling, and the mountains add an air of adventure and excitement. The national park is also a unique setting. In December it can be 80+F in the heat of the day and cool to the 30's at night. July might be over 100 down on the Rio Grande yet a cool 75 just a few miles away in the mountains. There is a primitive hot springs next to the river where you can go soak at night. If want some excellent hiking, there are spectacular trails all over the park including a hike up 8k feet to the top of Emery peak. The local folks are classic westerners and easy to work with, pretty friendly and welcoming to the folks who travel through and sprinkle a little cash here and there.

All this can be integrated into a four or five day motorcycle tour. The BMW GS or similar bike is perfect for this country because there are both great high-speed pavement riding and miles and miles of unpaved roads to explore. The roads are all excellent: empty, pretty and fast. The setting couldn't be better either. Every night you can eat and drink well then settle into a nice room and rest up for the next day.

I’m headed back out there with our guide Kevin for some more research on the route and accommodations the weekend of December, 18. Another long ride out west--that's gonna be good.

Take a look at this one and sign up for next year. You will come away remembering this tour for a long time. All in all, just an excellent riding destination--an especially good riding break from the ice bound winter. Sign up—I want to lead this trip often, it is my favorite in Texas.

Oakley

I finally carved out a long weekend to ride the RT and pay a visit to the Big Bend country out in west Texas. It was everything I had hoped it would be and a bag of chips.

First, and I don’t suppose I am telling anyone anything new who has ridden one much but, the RT eats up pavement at an astounding rate, especially when you take it in 500 mile chunks as I did a couple of weeks ago.

I have to admit I was going to trailer the 10 hours from Austin to Study Butte then ride around for three days. However, that was not to be. We hooked up the double trailer rig with the popup pulling the bike trailer and headed west. About an hour out of Austin the bike trailer spit off a wheel all we saw were sparks spraying from where the tire is supposed to be.
Somewhere near Johnson City we ended up unloading the bikes, ditching the trailer in the weeds on the side of the road and riding home about midnight. After a not-so-restful four hours sleep I was riding the RT west toward the Big Bend while the other three of our two couple outing lounged in the comfort of the truck.

I tried not to show how good it felt to be on my new bike while they were trapped in the truck—it was a grey out and a little cold when we left town and I played up the sacrifice I was making by toughing it out alone on the bike. I think they bought it for a while. I stayed in range for the first four hours, checking in with them here and there. Not too long after I hit Interstate 10 west I passed them for the last time. The RT was begging to run 95 and I finally forgot the traffic fines and points and turned it loose, perhaps even spurring it a little. An hour later I got off the interstate and headed south on a secondary highway rationalizing that I would meet back up with them in a few hours down the road in Alpine.

That was pure fiction. The RT and I were flying through the desert, stunningly barren and beautiful landscapes all around, and I didn’t care if I ever made it to Alpine. An hour or two after leaving the traffic behind, cruising between 90 and 110, I decided to bypass the near-defunct railroad town of Sanderson, and stay in the desert where I could keep it dialed up and soak in more big wide open.

Somewhere out there east of Marathon I stopped to get off the RT for a little relief. Once the big boxer was shut down, the only sounds were the sawing of the cicadas and the delicate ping of the cooling exhaust. This was what I had been looking for: an inverted bowl of blue sky hovered delicately over hills and cliffs covered in saltbush and ocotillo, and there I was feeling like the least thing of it all.

From my rest stop west to Marathon was an hour of pure bliss: no cars–not one either way–open road, canyon bluffs and verdant desert. The RT continued to ask for 5k rpm in 5th and who was I to fight it?

I got off the bike in Marathon (one main street, no lights and just a scattering of permanent residents) to catch up with my buddy Neil and to visit the famed Gage motel-–a must stop on the Big Bend tour. Local ranchers built the Gage early in the last century so they would have a nice place to stay when they came to town on cattle business, and it has evolved into a one-of-a-kind top-notch hide out.

This is where it all starts for me: West Texas–the big empty that is really so full. It is the nearest real out-west locale to my home in Austin. It smells dry and clean and sharp, the air is high and thin, the sky is intensely blue especially early and late in the day, it just feels like home. I wanted to linger and soak it up but I had to make it to Alpine where I figured I would meet up with the truck-bound folks I was supposed to be traveling with. The run from Marathon to Alpine provided more of the same great wide-open empty roads and stunning desert landscapes. More 90mph plus running put me there quicker than I had imagined. I picked up cell phone service and connected with my friends thinking they would be way ahead of me because of my little detour. It turns out they had a trailer flat on the popup and were an hour behind me. I was off the being-late hook, but they wanted me to wait for them. “No” I said, I didn’t think I would be waiting an hour when the evening was nigh and another one hundred miles of desert vistas and empty roads were in the offing.

Alpine is a sweet little town nestled in the mountains and I stopped just long enough to gas up before heading due south toward Study Butte in the heart of the Big Bend. The RT poured it out while I guided the two of us over more and still more miles of empty roads as the landscape became increasingly mountainous, broken and beautiful. I rolled into Study Butte just before dark, secured a campsite for the popup and settled in to wait for my truck-bound companions. The sun ducked behind the Glass Mountains, the sky flashed crimson clouds hanging just above the southern horizon somewhere over Mexico. Darkness settled hand in hand with silence in over the desert like a cape while I watched up the empty highway for familiar headlights. They came along in about an hour, and I relished the time to think about one of the best days of riding in memory.

It was only a 500-mile day–not far really–but I stood leaning on my new traveling partner a transformed man. Who can say why some riding days stand out from others? Perhaps it’s the state of mind that develops as the miles strip away all the built up junk in your head and you get down to the basics: pay attention to everything because you have to to stay alive and because you can. It becomes a kind of meditation–stay upright and see. More on that later.

Before the weekend ended I had ridden another 1k miles and was none the worse for wear. The RT is getting a rest waiting for an oil change and valve adjustment and such. It’s been raining and I am waiting for my next chance to get out for a good head cleaning–me not the bike. I read somewhere some thing like “Sometimes it takes a whole tank of gas before I can think straight.” I would edit that to:

“Sometimes it takes a thousand miles before I can stop thinking.”

I have been spending a lot of time working to get my touring gear in order and thinking about the up-coming seasons both here in Central Texas and in Colorado. I am really excited about two things right now—my new bike that I will use for guiding tours and traveling out to the Big Bend region to set up the new winter tour for next year.

I was driving everyone crazy watching bikes on ebay and in the papers—constantly tracking the prices of Beemers and trying to figure out what I could afford. At first I was set on the newest k1200rs I could afford, but along with some touring deficiencies, they just weren’t dropping in value enough for me to get what I wanted. Eventually I figured out what I really wanted was a k1200GT but they are way out of my price range right now.
After a few more weeks obsessing on the computer, I found a 1996 RT in the Austin classifieds. It was clean except for a no-speed drop in a gravel parking lot. And it was loaded with goodies like a Givi trunk and BMW tank bag, touring windshield and a Staintune pipe, not to mention a brand new valve cover to replace the dinged one. The tires were toast but that was fine because the price was right in my budget of 5k.

Now that I have been riding it a couple of weeks I am hooked on the big oil-head boxer. I have never owned an oil head but ridden a few. It feels like a miniature space ship. It’s not screaming fast but strong, sure and quiet. It’s the near perfect touring and guiding bike. I can’t wait to get it out in the open and stretch it out.

Which brings me to the second thing taking up too much of my thought time—Big Bend. If you have never been to the Big Bend you should go—go for the empty space and the mountains and the desert and the peace of mind. Oh yeah, go for the roads too!

I will be heading out there ASAP to map out and set up a road tour and, I hope, a dual sport tour. I know the area well but I have not been out there for a couple of years so it is time to get reacquainted. There is the Limpia hotel in Fort Davis and the Gage Hotel in Marathon—both great old places to rest and fuel up. There are the Davis Mountains and the loop road that circles them—eighty miles of sweet twisties. Hot springs on the Rio Grande, Comfy cabins and, great desert mountain hiking in the national park, a cold spring pool at Balmoreah, and a bunch of other stuff to do and see. All surrounded by miles and miles of great riding.
I will report soon. Oakley